The region is continuing to struggle with high levels of alcohol use and its impacts, according to the local health unit.
Every year, the Northwestern Health Unit (NWHU), which encompasses the Rainy River District and part of the Kenora District, covering approximately one-fifth of Ontario’s land, releases its annual report on public health in the district. In its latest report, a variety of interventions, developments, and challenges were identified. At over 13 times the provincial average, one area of note the NWHU identified is that alcohol-related emergency room visits have been steadily increasing for more than a decade. Other rates of adverse alcohol use, like heavy drinking, alcohol-related hospitalizations and deaths, range from above average to “several orders of magnitude higher than provincial rates.”
“Throughout 2024, NWHU continued to manage and address short-term obstacles while delivering its core programs and services,” said Doug Lawrence, Chair of NWHU’s Board of Health, in a written statement.
“Over the past several years, staff have worked through Public Health Modernization, COVID-19, Strengthening Public Health merger analysis and decisions, and more recently, multi-year funding increases below inflation rates.”
In addition to inflation surpassing the latest budget increase, Lawrence detailed the level of stress the organization’s leadership endures.
“Staff continue to make organizational and strategic changes to adapt to the ever-changing environment,” said Lawrence.
“The stress on leadership is relentless, and the Board has observed the strength of character we have at the leadership level and the commitment to the organization by staff. Please consider the uniqueness of the challenges we face in our Health Unit and the remarkable manner in which we all rise to meet those challenges.”
The Northwestern Health Unit’s CEO, Marilyn Herbacz, and Medical Officer of Health, Dr. Kit Young Hoon, also co-authored a statement in the report.
“Early in 2024, in response to the Province’s Strengthening Public Health strategy, NWHU’s board and senior leadership, along with Thunder Bay District Health Unit, participated in a voluntary merger consultation. This process resulted in a unanimous vote from both Boards of Health against a merger,” reads the statement. “Our programs and services continue to be dedicated to our communities’ needs and ensure that our work and efforts positively impact our communities and overall health.”
Some of the programs and services outlined in the NWHU’s strategic plan include promoting mental health and wellness, advancing harm reduction initiatives, strengthening Indigenous partnerships, as well as enhancing data transparency and public engagement.
The Northwestern Health Unit published an alcohol dashboard in its report, bringing together mental health and wellness, harm reduction, data transparency, and public engagement. Some notable indicators and statistics are outlined in the report.
“Across all six indicators included in this dashboard, rates are significantly higher in the NWHU area compared to the province as a whole,” reads the alcohol dashboard’s summary.
“Adverse alcohol use indicators also tend to be higher in the NWHU area compared to the province as well.”
While the province has a rate of 543.7 emergency medicine visits attributable to alcohol per 100,000 people, the NWHU area is over 13 times higher at 7,464.3 per 100,000 people, with the highest municipal areas being Sioux Lookout, Red Lake, and Kenora. Another way to think of it is that the provincial average per capita is about seven per cent of the average per capita in the NWHU area.
Another notable, yet less pronounced, alcohol-related health trend is alcohol-related deaths.
“The rate of death [from or related to alcohol] is 39 per 100,000,” reads a summary from NWHU officials.
“Both of these indicators, [death and hospitalization from alcohol,] are several orders of magnitude higher than provincial rates.”
While those are some of the most staggering statistics in the report, exceeding low-risk drinking guidelines and heavy drinking are also above the provincial norm in the NWHU area at nine per cent above average and five per cent above average, respectively.
However, abstinence from alcohol in the NWHU area mimics provincial data despite having about nine more alcohol outlets per capita than provincial data suggests.
For the full report, click here or visit the Our News section of the NWHU website.
